Andrew Koneschusky

Partner

Andrew Koneschusky joined CLS Strategies from the worlds of politics and crisis management. A Capitol Hill veteran, Andrew advises clients in the U.S. and abroad who face high-stakes challenges at the intersection of communications, politics and public policy. His work spans many industries, from financial services, healthcare and energy to aerospace, technology and robotics.

Andrew is working to pave the way for the integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) – sometimes inaccurately called “drones” – into the U.S. airspace. The public affairs campaign he leads has reshaped perceptions of the technology and has cultivated support for UAS from Governors, members of Congress, academia, the private sector and even Amazon.com. As a result, the unmanned systems industry is on track to unlock an $89 billion market and create more than 100,000 new U.S. jobs in the years to come.

Outside of the U.S., Andrew for several years advised the Government of Kenya as it worked to enhance its image among U.S. policymakers following post-electoral violence in 2008. Working closely with the Kenyan Embassy in Washington and various ministries in Nairobi, Andrew and his team ensured that Kenya received the credit it deserved for passing a new constitution, implementing sweeping political reforms, combating militants in Somalia and growing its economy.

Prior to joining CLS Strategies, Andrew was a vice president at the crisis communications firm Levick, where he guided clients through congressional investigations, state and federal regulatory actions, and complex litigation and crises. His clients at Levick included an insurance and financial services company implicated in the economic collapse, a major U.S. airline that faced FAA scrutiny over missed inspections, a FEMA trailer manufacturer caught in the crosshairs of the House Oversight Committee, and a foreign government seeking the return of its citizens detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Andrew also previously served as a spokesperson for leading Democratic members of Congress, including as national press secretary for Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and as communications director for Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY). While in the House, Andrew also assisted the late Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) in his 2006 bid to become House Majority Leader.

Earlier in his career, Andrew served as executive director of the Louisiana Democratic Party and, prior to that, as the state party’s communications director.

Andrew is a New York native and holds a degree in business administration from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

Andrew is a private pilot who enjoys flying on the weekends and whenever the weather cooperates. He wants to train for his seaplane rating in either Seattle or Alaska, even though the D.C. airspace restrictions will keep the Potomac off limits.

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Andrew has been whitewater rafting over the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world, located on the class V Kaituna River in Rotorua, New Zealand. He lived to tell about it, and would do it again in a heartbeat.

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Andrew's an amateur guitar player who's constantly working to refine his skills. He's just about mastered Green Day's "Good Riddance" and Jack Johnson's "Flake." Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" and many others are still works in progress, however.